Fire extinguisher for aeroplanes



April 17, 1934. PALL TT 1;955,086

Filed Dec. '7, 193

al/02 2a Sal/fig W April 17, 1934. s. PALLOTTA FIRE EXTINGI JISHER FOR AEROPLANES Y s Sheets-Shet 3 Filed Dec. 7, 1931 4.5. fdZ/a f AQ W Patented Apr. 17, 1934 FIRE nxrmcmsnsn ron maormnns Sandy Pallotta, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor o! scven-twentieths to Vito Manzi and three- ;gentieths to Angelo Ialung, both of Detroit,

Application December '7, 1931 Serial No./579,621

' 2 Claims. (CI. 169-2) This invention relates to fire extinguishing systerns for aircraft, particularly aeroplane and has for an object to provide a sprinkler system which will withstand the changing positions of the ship while maneuvering without getting out of order and which will be built into the ship so as to be available instantly at all times for extinguishing fires.

A further object is to provide a novel mounting in which a standard fire extinguisher may be rotatively held so as to be maintained upright during the various longitudinal and lateral angular inclinations of the ship but may be locked by the pilot in inverted position to discharge its contents where needed.

A further object is to provide a sprinkler system in which fusible plugs close the nozzles of the spray pipes sothat in the event of a fire occurring near one of the plugs the plug will be melted and permit the contents of the fire extinguisher to play on the flame.

A further object is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive fire extinguisher system which will require minimum attention of the pilot in an emergency and will be so mounted as not to interfere with the controls, motor, or any movable part of the ship.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side'elevation of the flre extinguisher, inapplied position in an aeroplane and shown in dotted lines in operative position,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the pivotal mounting of the fire extinguisher,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section of the flexible pipe coupling and pivot of one side of the fire extinguisher, I I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevation showing the fire extinguisher locked in operative position,

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the spray pipe system,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a fire extinguisher of non-cylindrical shape, Figure 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of fire extinguisher employing fusible plugs to control the escape of the spray, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the spray nozzles and its fusible plug.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views a conventional monoplane is shown comprising a fuselage 10, wings 11, motor 12, these parts being all of the usual construction.

Incarrying out the invention I preferably employ a fire extinguisher 13 of the standard type which must be inverted to play on a fire. I preferably provide the cylindrical casing of the fire extinguisher with a band 14 having a socket 15 which receives a gudgeon 16, as shown in Figure 2, that is rigidly secured to the side of the fuselage in any suitable manner. A right angular bracket 17 is bolted at 18 and braced as at 18 or otherwise rigidlysecured to the side of the fuselage and is provided with a bearing 19 disposed in alignment with the gudgeon 16. A pipe 20 is secured to the side of the fire extinguisher near the top thereof and is directed downwardly along the side of the fire extinguisher and thence laterally to provide a journal 21 which is rotatably received in the bearing 19 and coacts with the gudgeon 16 in rotatively mounting the fire extinguisher. The band 14 is sov disposed on the fire extinguisher that the fire extinguisher will have most of its weight placed below the band so that normally the fire extinguisher is maintained upright in position, the fire extinguisher swinging freely on its pivotal connection with the fuselage just described, during maneuvering of the plane, such as turning the nose downward or upward as will be understood.

In order to lock the fire extinguisher in operativeposition, that is in inverted position, a substantially U-shaped catch 22 is pivoted at the bight thereof on the bottom of the fire extinguisher, an eye 23 formed of suitable strap metal being employed for this purpose. The catch is of sufilcient length to embrace the angular bracket 17, as best shown in Figure 4 and may be 1'0- tated by the pilot in the eye 23 by means of a lateral lever. 24 which extends along the bottom of the fire extinguisher and terminates in a grip 25 which extends atv substantially a rightangle to the lever. When in'this inverted position, the fire extinguisher will expel its contents through the hereinafter described spray pipe system in the usual manner.

The spray pipe system comprises a pipe 26 7 which extends along the top of the motor and terminates at intervals in lateral spray nozzle 27, the pipe being continued preferably along the rear side of the motor as shown at 28 and also having a spray nozzle 29 which enters the crank case of the motor and the pipe is furthermore preferably provided with an upstanding portion 30 which as best shown in Figure 5 is connected to a transverse length of pipe 31 that extends along the leading edge of the wing and is equipped at intervals with spray nozzle 32. A feed pipe 33 for the pipe system just described connects with the pipe 28 and passes rearwardly therefrom to the fire extinguisher where it is connected to the outlet pipe 20 of the fire extinguisher by means of a flexible pipe coupling 34 which is best shown in detail in Figure 3 in which the discharge end-of the pipe 20 carried by the fire extinguisher terminates in a nozzle which is tapered externally as shown at 35 and is received in the tapered bore 36 of a cylindrical fitting 37 having a flange 38 at one end and having the opposite end threaded to receive the feed pipe 33. The discharge pipe 20 of the fire extinguisher is provided near the tapered nozzle with a flange 39 which is received in the offset portion 40 of a ring 41 that is secured to the flange 38 of the fitting by means of an annular series of bolts 42 having helical springs 43 surrounding the bolts and confined under tension against the ring 41 by the nuts 44 on the bolts. A bracket arm 45 is formed integral with the flange 38 of the pipe fitting 3'7 and is bolted as shown at 46 to the right angular bracket 17. The springs 43 take up wear between the contacting tapered surfaces 35 and 36 and between the side faces of the flange 38 and offset portion 40 of the ring 41 caused by rotary or swinging movement of the discharge pipe 20 imparted thereto by the fire extinguisher 13 pivoting on its mounting as will be understood.

A modified form of the fire extinguisher system is shown in Figures 7 and 8 in which the fire extinguisher 47 is not of the above described type which must be inverted to become operative, but instead is of the standard stationary type which when one of the spray nozzles is opened, becomes active and discharges its contents. The fire extinguisher of this type is preferably provided with perforated lugs 48 to which bolts 49 are passed to rigidly secure the fire extinguisher to the side of the fuselage.

The spray pipe system includes a feed pipe 50' which passes from the bottom of the fire extinguisher forwardly toward the engine where it is provided with lateral branches 51 and 52, the former entering the crank case and the latter being continued forwardly and along the motor, as shown at 53 and terminating in spray pipe 54. An upright branch 55 extends to about the height of the wing and is equipped with spray pipes 56. The spray pipes are all equipped with fusible plugs.

As best shown in Figure 8, each fusible plug comprises a plug 57 of fusible material which is confined by fingers 58 in advance of the corresponding spray pipe 54, the fingers being brazed or otherwise rigidly secured at the rear end to the pipe. A valve 59 is held in a conical seat 60 in the pipe by means of a helical spring 61 which is confined under tension between the plug 67 and the valve and holds the valve seated. A helical spring 62 is confined under tension between the inner faceof the valve and a transverse pin 63 carried by the pipe 54.

When sufficient heat is generated the plug 5'? melts and releases the tension of the spring 51 whereupon the tension spring 62 dislodges the valve 59 to permit escape of the contents of the fire extinguisher- 4'7 ,through the spray pipe 54.

While the preferred form of the invention embodies a cylindrical fire extinguisher 13, shown in Figure 1, which must be up-ended to discharge its contents, it is not necessary that the shape of the fire extinguisher be cylindrical, since, as shown in Figure 6, the fire extinguisher 64 may be flared outwardly at the bottom and obviously other shapes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the above description it will be observed that the fire extinguishing system is built into the aeroplane as an intergal unit therewith and is placed on the side of the fuselage near the motor so as not to materially disturb the center of gravitation of the ship so that the system may be easily applied to ships now in use as well as ships during manufacture.

It will be pointed out also that the system above described consists of a few simple parts which are inexpensive to manufacture and install and which include such connections in the liquid line as to be not easily disrupted by sudden shocks and jars.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of my invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. In an areoplane, a revoluble fire extinguisher, a stationary bracket for mounting the extinguisher on the airplane having a portion disposed transversely to the extinguisher, and a rotary catch on the bottom of the extinguisher having a forked terminal to engage said transverse portion of the bracket for locking the fire extinguisher stationary in inverted position.

2. In an aeroplane, a fire extinguisher, a pivot for connecting the fire extinguisher on one side to the fuselage of the airplane, a bracket secured to the fuselage of the airplane and having one end forming a bearing, a discharge pipe for the fire extinguisher having an end j ournal'ed through the bearing on the bracket and having an annular flange, a spray pipe, a coupling engaged with the end of the spray pipe and having a flanged portion rigidly secured to the bracket, the bore of said coupling receiving the extremity of the discharge pipe and the flange thereof fitting against the flange on the discharge pipe, a ring encircling the discharge pipe and having an offset portion fitting around the flange on the pipe, bolts inserted through the margin of the ring and the flange of the coupling, and expansion springs mounted on said bolts and acting on the flanges to maintain a leak-proof joint.

SANDY PALLOTTA. 

